Overview

Joshua Kappel is a founding partner of Vicente LLP with a passion for helping entrepreneurs and visionaries build human-centric and regenerative companies in the cannabis and psychedelic industries.

Enthusiastic about policy, Josh also loves helping advocates draft legislation and build sustaining vehicles that will forever influence these emerging industries. Most recently, Joshua co-authored Colorado's Proposition 122, the Natural Medicine Health Act, and served as chair of the campaign committee for Natural Medicine Colorado. In November 2022, Proposition 122 passed with 54% of the vote. This historic state-wide measure creates access to natural psychedelic medicines through a regulated supervised-use model and by decriminalizing personal and communal use. In addition to a half dozen other psychedelic and cannabis measures, Joshua helped draft Colorado's Amendment 64, the first state measure to legalize cannabis for all adults.  

In addition to policy work, Joshua helps companies of all shapes and sizes—from nonprofits and start-ups to multinational corporations and public companies—navigate the ever-changing psychedelic field with a focus on corporate structuring and business practices, the intersection of state and federal law, state licensing and regulatory compliance, and general corporate law.  

Active in the emerging therapies community, Joshua is a founding board member of the Microdosing Collective—the only recognized nonprofit in the U.S. dedicated to legalizing microdosing. He currently serves as a founding member of the Psychedelic Bar Association, where he stewards the Corporate Forms and Business Practices Committee. Additionally, Joshua was a founding board member of the International Cannabis Bar Association, founder of Simplifya, and helped launch a number of other nonprofits and private companies.

A sought-after thought leader in cannabis and psychedelics policy, Joshua has contributed writings, presented at local and international conferences, worked on psychedelics reform initiatives, and testified at public hearings. He is recognized by his peers in Best Lawyers in America for his work in cannabis law and was repeatedly named one of "Denver's Top Lawyers" by 5280 Magazine. 

Experience

Leadership & Community Involvement

• Founding Board Member, Microdosing Collective
• Campaign Committee Chair, Natural Medicine Colorado
• Founding Member, Psychedelic Bar Association
• Committee Member, Corporate Forms and Business Practices, Psychedelic Bar Association
• Mentor, Canopy Boulder
• Board Member, Simplifya
• Founding Board Member, VS Tech Ventures
• Founding Board Member, Leafwire
• Founding Member, Council for Responsible Cannabis Regulation
• Advisory Board Member, Cannabis Wheaton Income Corp
• Founding Board Member, National Cannabis Bar Association
• Associate Director, Sensible Colorado

Recognition

• Best Lawyers^®, Cannabis Law, 2023

• 5280 magazine, "Denver's Top Lawyers," 2016-2020

• National Law Journal, "Trailblazers: Cannabis Law," 2018

Publications

VS Insights

• Co-author, "Colorado Prop 122: A Transformative Measure Grounded in Equity and Healing," October 11, 2022

• Co-author, "Understanding the Current Legal Status of Psychedelics in the United States," May 27, 2022

• Co-author, "Financing Adaptogenic Mushroom Companies: Seven Basic Regulatory Points to Understand," December 2, 2021

External Publications

• Co-author, "What Cannabis Employers Need to Know About COVID-19" Marijuana Business Magazine, May 5, 2020

• Co-author, "Spark the Discussion: The 'Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force'," Colorado Bar Association CLE Legal Connection, January 22, 2013

• Author, "Spark the Discussion: Amendment 64: The Ripples Here at Home," Colorado Bar Association CLE Legal Connection, November 19, 2012

• Co-author, "Brian Vicente and Josh Kappel: The Future of Medical Marijuana is Legalization," Marijuana Business Daily, December 12, 2012

Events

• Speaker, Chacruna Institute Virtual Community Forum, "Colorado and Proposition 122: Where do we go from here?,” Online, January 18, 2023
• Speaker, Vicente Sederberg LLP, "[Webinar] Psychedelic Opportunities in Oregon and Colorado,” Online, January 12, 2023
• Speaker, Vicente Sederberg LLP, "[Webinar] Cannabis & Psychedelics On the Ballot,” Online, November 01, 2022
• Speaker, Vicente Sederberg LLP, "Entheogens Roundtable #2,” Online, October 20, 2022
• Speaker, Emergence Psychedelics Festival, "The (Legal) Future of Psychedelics in Colorado,” Denver, October 01, 2022
• Speaker, Psychedelic Law Summit, "Legalization or Regulation: Pathways to Psychedelic Access,” Online, September 08, 2022
• Speaker, INCBA Cannabis Regulatory Rounds, "Event and On-site Consumption,” Online, July 24, 2020
• Speaker, CanopyBoulder Investor Hub, "CARES Act and Cannabis,” Online, April 03, 2020
• Speaker, Coronavirus and Cannabis, "COVID-19 Changes and Challenges for Employers with Littler Mendelson,” Webinar, April 01, 2020
• Speaker, Coronavirus and Cannabis with Vicente Sederberg and Burns & Levinson, "Coast-to-Coast Regulatory Update,” Webinar, March 27, 2020
• Speaker, CanopyBoulder Mentor Conversation, "Cannabis Law Peculiarities,” Boulder, June 12, 2019
• Speaker, SXSW, "When Can We All Get High Together? (Legally),” Austin, March 14, 2019
• Speaker, International Cannabis Bar Association, "Securing State and Local Licenses and Permits,” , July 25, 2018
• Speaker, CanopyBoulder , "Cannabis Laws and Peculiarities,” Boulder, February 20, 2018
• Speaker, INCBA Cannabis Law Institute, "Northbound and Southbound: Cross-Border Transactions Between the United States and Canada ,” Denver, July 29, 2017
• Speaker, Cannabis Cultivation Conference, "Emerging Cultivation Landscape: A look at New States' Regulations, Challenges, and Opportunities,” , March 20, 2017
• Speaker, Indo Expo, "The Future of Colorado Cannabis,” , January 28, 2017
• Speaker, Canadian Cannabis Business Week, "Winning Public Confidence: How to Manage Issues, Attract Positive Attention, and Project Social Responsibility,” , September 15, 2016
• Speaker, Alaska Bar Association, "Marijuana Regulation 101,” , May 13, 2016
• Speaker, Alaska Bar Association, "Marijuana: Federalism and Ethics,” , May 13, 2016
• Speaker, Research Nature Demystifying Cannabis Scientific Conference, "Legalized It: The Beginning of the End of Cannabis Prohibition in the USA and Beyond,” Slovenia, May 15, 2014
• Speaker, Fill the Hill Cannabis Rally, "Practical Realities of Promoting Legalization,” Ottawa, Canada, April 20, 2013
• Speaker, Plant Medicine Expo and Healthcare Provider Conference, "Medical Marijuana Debate,” Denver, September 25, 2010